Apparatus for graphitizing large electrodes.



Y I y P.1.."T.HROULT.. 4

imanes rim GRAPH mme LARGE xmomqns.

r Y Y l K urmonmxnuv061219,1909.

Patented June 11, 15312.' 'l

"INVENTOR 5 wxTNESSES; s

" 'STATES lPrrriiisir''ounion. l f I PAUL LUIS TOUSSAINT HROULT, F LA PRAZ, FRANCE, ASSIGOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TD ELECTRODE COMPAJTY F AMERICA, 0F IYLAGARA'FALLS, INEW' l YORK, A CORPDRATION 0F REW YORK.

' 'fnrrnmfrus ron onnrmmzme minor. .nnnc'monns To 'all whom 'it may conm:

f `Be it known tliatl, PAUL Louis Tous,

. SAINTHHQULT, alcitizen of the `Republic of v France, residing at La Praz, Savoy, France,

liaveinrented certain new and useful lmf proveiuents in Apparatus for Grapliitiziiig Large Electrodes, of which tlie following is :i specification.

In gr'npliitizing, according to the Acheson 'proce-ss, it iscustoinary to ari-:inge the avrticles to. be grapliitized in piles seperated from ezicli other along the length of tlie furnaeewitli resistere of suitable materiel between tlie successive piles. According to tliis process .articles offgreat. length, suoli as large electrodes for electric Jfurnaces, have to be' placed crcsswise of the direction of tlie current. -"`lie current.- in passing through suoli electrodes from one resister to the next, tends to concentrate near the iniddie ot' t-lie lengths of the electrodes to such r an extent as tocause cracks and breakages.

AYIt hasy been imprecticable to apply this proc ess to 'electrodes of vgreat size anc. suoli elecf trodes have been'niade in short .sections screwed together attlieireiids in order to obtain the desired length.

According to tliis invention I propose to grupliitize, electrodes of the largest size in tegi'ally, by 'passing the ciirreiit-longitudinelly through a series of them arranged end to end with good electrical connections between them.

i The accompanying drawings illustrate an embodiment of the invention.l

Figure l is :i plan partly in section of a furnace at Work, omitting the blanketing material; Fig. 2 a cross-section on the line 2 2 Fig. 1. Fig.' 3 is a plan, and Fig. fis a cross-section, on :iL larger scale than Figs. l and 2, o purtslot' tlieurnace.

referring to the apparatus illustrated, the

Afurnace a rectangular box Witli side ii'alls A, end Walls B and n. bottom C of brick-v a goed electricalcoimection between them.

Each of-t'lieclianibers is closed :it its ends by Y n Vswiiiwmof:immnimm.' f menieaanneinieie. L ppucauon siga otober is, 1909. -seriai in. 523,194.

a pair of terminal blocks approximately tity ting` 'the rectangular cross-section of the chamber'. G, G', G2, and G3. The terminal G'is connected to tbe positive cable .and the terminal G3 totlie negative cable.` The terminals G', G2 are connect-ed to each other by ini-.zins ot a These terminals are indicated at co1 Y,"

liexible cable H. The Passage of the cur-VV rent. from the terminal G through the terminuls Gf and Gi to Atlic terminal G3 is through the electrodes which constitute the resistance.

i and carry :ill tlie grapliitizing current Withy in themselves, so that; there is no tendency to an irregular action or the current at (lifferentl parts of an electrode. The same quantity of current flows through each K cross-section of the electrode, and the crosssections :ire .substantially identical.

The Acolumn of electrodes is surrounded by a. lient-retaining blanket. J which may be, for exaniple,of pulverizetl charcoal. It is retained at. the sides by the longitudinal walls A and the partition D, and atvthe ends by f blocks G, G', Gr2 und Gr which, as stated above, serve also. as terminals for conveying the current to tlie ends of tbc columns. Those blocks ure designed to facilitate the making of zi good electrical connection between the adjacent ends of tbe successive electrodes. F or this purpose the blocks G :ind G3 are supported by struts K bearing against the adjacent end Wall of the furnace,

und the opposite blocks G and G2, between which is the liexibie connection H, are backed by jacks L of any suitable type, Such as screw jacks or hydraulic jacks, with which a consta-nt pressure may be maintained against. the ends of' the electrodes, C

" blocks M of Wood or. other yieldingznaterial being arranged behind the jacks so as to automatically provide `for the dilatation which occurs when `tlie current is first turned on, and the shrinkage which subsequently follows. s f The construction of one of tlie blocks i indicated in tliesectional view at G, Fig. 1. A cup-shaped shell M of cast iron is cast .with a circulatingpipe 'H therein for cooling it with Water, and with prongs O of wrought iron embedded in the bottom of the shell,

and projecting therefrom to bind the s liell firmlyl to the filling of carboni which is compressed within the shell.

f le electrodes E laid thereon with a strip R- of V 70 and volts. vUnder thee(` conditions the 1vdei-ed graphite and lamping it between the lt is'iniportant to secure. a ygoed connection rbetween the ends of the electrodesl), and thin` I accomplish by introducing.pew-

ends of the clectrodes, and pressingtlneleotrodes together during the :graphitiziug process "by means of the jacks L. 'The l' method of introducing the. graphite'is indirated in Fig. 4The powdered charcoald is first, introdueed to the level Q, and the papenfsheet metal or othe1` flexible material passed around 'under the joint. The ends of' thestrip are brought upward. as shown in full lines,v after which the powdered charV .coal is also introduced to the level indicated yin full lines, and the powdered graphite F introduced from the top and tainped. The

paper is then brought tooether in the man-- .20

ner indica'ted'in dotted lineaat R' and the powderedcharcoal raised to the level Q. and the graphite Jcamped to the same level; and so on until the tamping 'n completed thrfiiugliout the joint, sitter which the ends ot the strip lt are removed and the charcoal filled in upon the top of the electrode. to the desired height. The jacks are then used to compress the joints and the current. applied.

' e ln a spedite-example of the 'invention electrodes 20 inches in'dianieter and i' to l()k feetA lon" are treated in a furnace ot the relative dimensions: indicated in the drawings. Such a tui-nare takes about 120 volts aty the Start, the voltage lieinidr grada-illy reduced to about Si. and the greatest ellieicncy being between eleetrodes arev thoroughly graphitized in about 40 hours.

l l make no claim herein to the method ot' graphitizing which is made the Suliject ot' my application, No; 543,067, tiled February 10. 1910.

v vWhatl" claim iSI-v v l. A furnace for grapliitizing electrodes haring nieans'forl containing a plurali@7 of electrodes placed end to end. and means spaced apart a distance greater than the length ot' a single electrode, .tor making elecii'ical connections with the endniost-Y electrades, whereby the currentV is conducted endwise through the column of electrodes.V

. A furnace for graphitizuig electrodes 2 Y 1,029,1ia1

having'means for containing a pliiralit)y of" electrodes placed end to end, means i` or mak f ing electrical connections lietwvf-n snrh electrodes,-and means spaced apart a distance greater than the length of a single electrode, for making electrical connections with the endniest electrodes, lTifliereby the current is conducted enclwise through the column of 60.v

electrodes. p

3. A furnace for graphilizing electrodes haring nieans for Containing aplnrality of electrodes placed end to end. means spaced apart a distance greater than the length of V a singleelectrode, for making electrical conneetions with the endniost electrodes, and nieans'adapted to press tlieendinosf; electrodeb` toward veach other, whereby the current is conducted endwise 'through the col- T70 umn of electrodes.

4.' A furnace. for grnphitizing electrodes comprising a pair of chambers alongside of each other and adapted to contain a pluraliljiv of elef-trodes placed end to end, and a block at eeeli end of each of said chambers, said blockl spaced aparta dietance greater than the length of a single electrode for making electrical connections with the endmost electrodes, and means 'for pressing the S0 chambers, a staii'inary'terminal block at one end of earh o'fsaid chambers. and a inoralile 90 terminal tiloek at the opposite end of each of lsaid chambers. said liloolrs spaced apart a vdistance greater than the length of a single electrodefor making electrical connections with the endinost electrodes, and means for f ,pressing said rovahle blocks forward.

In wit-ness whereof, I have hereunto signed my naine in the presence of two suhscrlbing witnesses. v'

, ,PAUL Louis 'roassiixr miniem.

Witnesses:

4D. Ax'rnoxr USINA.

FRED lll-'111112.

Copies or' this patent may he obtained for vey cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

v- Washington, D. C.

V; y f Y m 

